The typical internal combustion engine generally used in automobiles, trucks and other similar vehicles use various fuels for combustion. It is well known burning of these fuels is not one hundred percent efficient and further, produces large amounts of pollutants as a byproduct of the combustion process. Accordingly, many attempts have been made to enhance the completeness of combustion by the introduction of various catalysts and additives, including gaseous hydrogen and oxygen, into the burning process. Such attempts were made with the goal of improving combustion efficiency and cleanliness, while ensuring the stability of the combustion process and viability of engine components.
In particular, many attempts have been made in the prior art to use a basic electrolysis reaction of various solutions (water or other chemical compositions containing oxygen and hydrogen) to produce elemental oxygen and hydrogen in gaseous form. These gases, known to increase the efficiency of combustion within certain ranges, are then typically introduced either singly or together into the combustion situs to achieve the goal of improved combustion efficiency and concomitant cleanliness. For example, U.S. Pat. Serial No. 4,111,160 provides a broad overview of the prior art attempts and the use of the basic electrolysis reaction to achieve enhanced combustion.
The present invention is an improvement over U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,773 employing unique mesh anodes interposed between cathode plates partially submerged in electrolytic solution to produce hydrogen and oxygen by electrolysis. The '773 patent discloses an electrolysis system for the improvement of engine efficiency without the need for storage tanks, pressure valves or the like in a safe efficient manner.
The present invention provides each benefit of the '773 patent while solving problems not addressed by the prior art; e.g. heat energy production from electrolysis, connection corrosion from contact with the electrolyte, difficult maintenance of the device and the effects of vibration. Heat production is reduced by using a series circuit with definable resistance cross the entire electrolysis site. The present invention solves the corrosion problem by placing all electrical connections outside the main canister containing the electrolyte. The present invention also provides simplified maintenance over the prior art by employing easily removable and replaceable electrolysis sites. Finally, in the prior art, vibrations degraded the canister mounted connections of the electrolysis sites reducing the life and efficiency of the devices. In the present invention, the electrolysis sites are not attached to the main canister, reducing the effects of vibration.
Accordingly, the invention improves over the prior art by solving a variety of problems not addressed by the prior art using simple, straightforward and easily adaptable solutions.